Seal



QG.STREET July 14, 1931.

Filed June 22, 1926 lvate'ntecl .luly 14, 1931` eres? freNr OFFICE FREDERICK G. STR-EET, OF EAST' ORANGE, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 ANCIRA LOCK;

AND-SEAL CORPORATION, or' NEW YORK,V N. Y.; A

Appii'ation inea nine The present invention relates to fastening devices or seals ofthe type more particularlyused on containers to make it pos. sible more readily to detect tampering with the contents thereof, and Vhas. for an `object to provide an improved devicey of this character.

4The invention has been-developed in connection with theproduction ofa seal Afor use on bank envelopes such as are used in the transmission of securities and, for convenience'7 this embodiment of the invention Vwill-be described as suliicieiitly'illustrative yof the principles involved. lt will be unseal parcels yand yet leave nor evidence that the parcels have been tampered with. A. postal employee vwould Yfind' it impossible,

y'without detection, to remove securities from avregistered bank envelope and substitute an equivalent weight of other papers unless he could so reseal the parcel thaty it would not arouse thevsuspicion of the inspector or 4 i other Aemployee to whom he mightdeliverit.

vedthat after its partshave been connected But with practice thievesbecomeZeXpert in opening'and lresealing'envelopes andthe problem of designingY a seal `that will prevent the opening of Aan'envelope without con#k /spicuous mutilation of the seal or of the envelope or which will make easy the detection of an envelope that has beenopened and resealed presents many diiciilties. The dii'liculty of the problem is increased by the fact that the seal must necessarily be relatively ineXpensive and must be' socOnstruct-- ed that it can be quickly and easily sealed by clerks having` little mechanical4 skill.

The present vinventionl provides a seal which in the'preferred forni is so constructit practically impossible under the Vconditions of use to disconnect these parts withthe female member.v

`V trolled by one ormorej seals'.Vv

' female members Y 8 5 and 9." att tivelyV to the flapl and body of the envelope 192e. serial No. 117.680.

" out inutilatingone or both of them to such an extent as to leave obvious traces 'of the separation.. rilie seal is also so constructed that it is practically impossibleto detach onev of the cooperating parts from an en- "velope' or the like to which it has been applied and again attach it without' seriously inutilating the 'paper or the fastener. Y

`The nature andobject of theV .invention will be better understood by reference tofA the description of a particular,illustrative embodiment thereof for the purpose of which" description reference should be had to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof and in whichr- Y F lgure l is a'viewV ofthe back of .an

envelope having applied thereto twoseals constructed in accordance with ing ithe principles of the invention. Figure 2 is a view showing the two parts of the seal disconnected butin position 'to be engaged.

and embody- 'Figure isa central sectional View taken i "centrally of'F ig. on the line thereof.

Figure 4.- is'a'central sectional view similary 'to F ig; 3 but fastener engaged.` Fig. 5 is'afview ofa partly folded blank showing the shap of the several parts'ofw showing the parts ofthe Fig. `@is a right side elevation 'of Fig.j5. Figure 7 is a central sectional view of the female member completely formed. and v ready ,to be attached to an Ienvelope but with the attaching prongs not bent;

- `lfiigure Sisa'sectional view taken on the line 8:-8 of Fig. 3.` In the arrangement to vbe described for the purpose of illustrating the invention the closure flap 5 :of an envelope 6 is secured in closed relation by two similar fastener devices or'seals'?.l

' The envelope so'formed andthe fastenving devices so arranged thereon that each .possible opening Vof the envelope is con-v ASShOWD, perating` male and ac liableV respeceach' seal consistsof l coo and so constructed that vwhen once they have son form a passage or socket 12 to receive the 1 ltongue 13 of the male member 8, Oneend of the blank of the female member is folded in and back upon the body of the blank but in slightly spaced relation thereto to form a retaining element la. This folded end of the blank is spaced sufficiently from `the Vbody portion of the blank to form the socket 12 to receive the tongue 13, the eXtreme end ofthe retaining elementbeing bent suiiiciently toward the, body of the blank to insure engagement with the cooperatinghook 15 adjacent the end of the tongue 13.

rIhe character of the'material is such that the retaining element 14 is sufliciently resilient to yield permitting the hook 15 to pass behind the end thereof and then to spring into engaging position. The opposite end 17 of the blank is folded back upon thebody of the blank but outside of the retaining element 14C to enclose said retaining element and provide an enclosure therefor.

The blank is cut as indicated at 18 to vleave a, tongue 19 which cut causes the opening 20 to be formed in one edge of the fastenervwhen `the end of the blank isfold-A ed inwardly and back upon itself to form the retaining element 1a as best indicated in Fig. The side portions22 of the'blank are folded inwardly to complete the Venclosure of the retaining element 14 and to prevent access thereto from, the sides of the The 'inner edges of the side pordevice. tions are formed to provide prongs 23 which, when the fastener is applied to -the paper, will extend through the paper and will be Abent inwardly to secure .the female ymember thereto. The central portion of each sidev is extended to form a projection 2a which, in the finished'fastener, is folded inwardly and against theback of the end 17 as indicated in Fig. 7 to hold said end 17 in closed relation. Prongs 25 are also formed at the lower edge ofthe female member as shown in Fig. 5 which prongs are arranged to extend through the paper and be folded to secure the fastener to theV paper. The fastener shown Vis thus provided with two prongs 23 on each side and with three prongs 25 at the lower edge of the fastener is shown in the drawing, these three prongs being shown in dotted linesl in Fig. 2 to indicate the position thereof.

:inward projection 27.

In order to interfere with the insertion of a tool into the female member through the opening 20 which receives the tongue 13 of the male member, the male member and the femalemember are provided with suitably arranged obstructions or projections. As shown the tongue 13 is formed on its inner face with an embossed projection 26 which bears against the inner Wall of the passage 12 holding the tongue against vthe body of the socket member or Wall 28, the inner folded end of the female member is :formed with projections 29, 30. The projections 29 being ofsufficient height to leave `just suflicient'space to permit the insertion of the tongue 13 against the Wall 28 while the projections 30 are of sufficient height to engage the, wall 28 and entirely close the passageway at each side of the tongue 13.

The tongue 13 vis also provided with an Preferably the tongue is perforated so that the projection 27 is in the form of a lip Well adapted to engage and deflect any tool inserted along the inner face of the tongue 13. The projections 26 and 27 cooperate with the projections 29, 30 to substantially obstruct the passagewayV along the inner face of the tongue 13 when said tongue is in position in ythe female member.

In order that the fastener members may not be removed from the body or flap of the envelopeby a bending of the prongs and again replaced and the prongs bent into holdin position, allL prongs are so scored that i necessary in removing them from the envelope andagain aflixing the fastener they ,will be broken. The female member is yalso so scored along all lines of fold that in the bent backward and forward as is.YV

event of any bendingof the .female member to open the sameto permit access vto the retaining element 14 an immediate breaking of the blank along said lines will occur.

In order to prevent the release of ther tongue 13 from the retaining element 14 by" means of a tool inserted in the opening 12 ofthe female member scores 33 are formed extending lfrom thev opening 12 across the body of the female member. Any bending of the female member adjacent the opening 12 will cause a tearing of the'metall along the scores, which tearing Willgive a clear indication of the tampering and prevent restoring of the sealto its original condition.v

The foregoing description of aV particular embodiment is illustrative merely and is not Yintended as defining the limits of thevinvention. Y l

I claimz 1. A seal of the character described comprising interengageable male and female Vmembers, the female member comprising a blank having one-end slotted to -provide an Aopening for the insertion of the male member and folded inwardly and back upon the body of the blank to form a retaining element and its other end folded inwardly and back upon the body of the blank toy enclose" 'said tongue.

4:. A seal as claimed in claim 1 wherein the tongue and the female member are provided with cooperating obstructions arranged in staggered relation to prevent the insertion of a releasing tool beside the tongue.

5. A seal comprising interengageable sheet metal male and female members, the female member being' formed of a blank folded to provide a flatrectangular closure ywith an opening at one side and at the other side a spring tongue entirely enclosed in said closure; the male rmember being formed with a tongue adapted to engage the springtongue of the female member; said tongue and female member having projections arranged to lie in staggered relation when said membersy are interengaged to prevent the insertion of a releasing tool into the female member beside the tongue kof the male member.

6. A seal of the character described comprising interengageableA male and,- female members, the femal member comprisinga blankhavingone end folded inwardly and back upon the the body of the blank to form a retaining element, a slot being formed at the fold to provide an opening to receive the tongue of the male member, said blank having its other end folded inwardly and back upon thebody of the blank to enclose the retaining element-,'the sides of the blank being folded inwardly and cooperating with said other end to completely encloser said retaining element, said tongue of the male member being rformed with a hook and a rib projecting from one side thereof,y said hook being engageable with the retaining element and said rib being arranged to close said slot and to provide a stop to prevent the insertion of a releasing ltool beside the tongue of the male'member, substantially as described.

7. A seal ofthe character described com-` prising interengagable male and female members, the female member comprising a blank-havingone end folded inwardly and back upon the body of the blank to form a retaining element', a slot being formed at the fold to provide an opening to receive the tongue of the male member, said blank having its other lend foldedinwardly and back upon the body rof the blank to enclose the retaining element, the sides of the blank being folded inwardly and cooperating with said other end'pto completely enclose said retaining element, vsaidtongue of the male member being formed with a hook projecting from one sidevthereofand engageable with said retaining element, said male member also being perforated at a point upwardly from said hook and in line therewith andhaving the edge of the perforation turned outwardly on the vsame side as said hook to provide a stop to prevent the insertion of a releasing'tool beside said male member, substantially as described. 8. A seal of the character described comprising interengageable male and female members, the female member comprising a blank having one end folded inwardly and back upon the body of the blank to form a retaining element, a slot being formed at the fold to provide an opening to receive the tongue of the male member, said blank having its other end folded inwardly and back upon the body of the blank to enclose the retaining element, the sides of the blank being folded inwardly and cooperating with said other end to completely enclose said .v

retaining element, said tongue of the male member being formed with a hook adjacent its free end engageable with said retaining element land with a deflecting projection and a rib in line withfsaid-hook and arranged to prevent the introduction of a releasing tool in said female member beside said tongue, and said female member being formed with inwardly extending projections between which said deiiecting projec- 4 Y vtion passes when the male and female members are connected, said inwardly extending projections being arranged to cooperate with said deflecting projection to prevent insertion of a releasing tool in said female member beside said male member.

`9. A seal of the character described comprising a sheet metal female member providing .a housing with an opening and a male member engageable therewith through said opening, scores extending from the opening in which said male member is inserted longitudinally along said male member to cause tearing said female member having of the female member in the event of distortion of said female member, substantially as described.

10. A seal of the character described com'- prising interengageable male and female members, the female member comprising a blank having a front wall and a portion y -foldedibaok fromthe front Wall to y:formV a. back 'Wall anda retaining element the retaining `element 'being lforr'ned by `slitting the back Wall Afor a distance from one end of the retaining element and the element being Vbent forward Itovvard the front Wall, the blank at one end being slitted and bent to form a slot Vfor receiving said male member, theslot having a surrounding border of uncut metal 'of the blank, and a retainii'ig element formed on said male member coi operating with the retaining element of the 1female member.

'11. A seal of the character set forth in Claim 10 in which the male member is formed with lateral shoulders Closing the sides of the slot andpositioned closely adjacent to the outer edge thereof when the parts are assembled together. In testimony whereof, 'I have signed my name to this specification this 4th clay of June, 1926.

FREDERICK G. STREET. 

